Plunger controlled valve for oil well pumps



SP- 17, 1940. w. J. DUNLAP l 2,214,956

PLUNGER CONTROLLED VALVE FOR OIL WELL PUMPS v Filed Sept. 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 17, 1940. w J. DUNLAP PLUNGER CONTROLLED VALVE FOR om WELL PUMPS 2 shexsheer 2 Filed Sept, 14, 1938 Patented Sept. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATEN'E` FFICE PLUNGEE CONTROLLED VALVE FOR OIL WELL PUMPS 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in well pumps and is primarily designed to be employed in well pumps used in oil wells.

An object' of the present invention is to provide an improved'well pump wherein the valves of the pump are prevented from spinning. Considerable difficulty has been encounterd in many types of oil pumps with respect to damage done to the valves of the pump and their adjacent cages. Where ball type valves are used, valves sometimes wear out of round causing leakage. One of the greatest difficulties experienced, however, is that cages for the valves become badly damaged. The damage done to the cages is frequently found to be on the upright arms of the cage rather than the top thereof as might be eX- pected, and this damage done to the cages and to the valves themselves is largely due to the action of the liquid being pumped at the extreme pressures causing the valves to open and to be thrown violently against the sides of the cages. Difficulty has also been experienced in oil well pumps dueto what is commonly called gas locklng.

It is an object of the present invention toprovide a well pump wherein provision is made to prevent the valves from spinning or from being thrown violently against the sides of the cages and which provides a mechanical construction that will frequently urge the valves into open and closed positions, thus eliminating any tendency of the pump to become gas locked.

Another object of the invention is to provide a well pump wherein provision is made for locking the movable or working b-arrel against rotation relative to the stationary part of the pump so that in the event that the sucker rod loosens or unscrews, as frequently occurs, the working barrel may be locked against rotation to enable the tightening up of the loosened sucker rod.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a partial View in vertical section through a Well tubing illustrating the major portion yof the pump embodying the present invention as disposed therein;

Fig. 2 is a partial View in vertical section illustrating the working parts of the pump embodying the present invention, the pump in` this view being shown on its upward stroke;

Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are horizontal sections taken the pump on its downward stroke;

Fig. 8 is a partial View in vertical section illustrating the spring lock on the pump, engaging the shoe on the tubing and showing the manner in which the plunger or working barrel is locked against rotation to enable tightening up of the sucker rod; and

Figs. 9 and l0 are views illustrating alternative forms of valves that may be employed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the well tubing is indicated at T having a shoe S, see Figs. 1 and 8, and within which there is disposed a sucker rod R.

The pump comprises a spring lock Ill, the fingers of which are adapted to enter and to snap into a seat li in the shoe S. vAttached tothe spring lock is an inner tube i2 which extends upwardly therefrom and has mounted thereon a stationary or inner barrel I3. The stationary or inner barrel is made up of a plurality of sections connected by internal collars I4, I5, and I6. Over the internal barrel there is telescopically mounted an outer or working barrel Il having at its top a cage i8 provided with a'threaded pin i9 for connection to the sucker rod R'. The cage I8 is ported as indicated at 20 and serves to cage a traveling or working valve 2l which seats on a seat 22 mounted in the working barrel II. The traveling valve 2l carries a guide pin 23 which extends upwardly into a bore 24 in the top of the cage with a close sliding t. 25 designates an outlet or vent from the top of this bore. A rod 26 is threaded or otherwise rigidly secured to the traveling valve 2| and extends downwardly therefrom. It slidably extends through the top of a cage 2'! for a standing valve 28 which is designed to seat on collar I6 or equivalent valve seat. The rod 26 also slidably extends through the standing valve 28 with a close sliding t. While many well'pumps are equipped with merely a single standing valve, in View of the fact that it is common practice to employ two standing valves, I have illustrated a second standing 29 adapted to seat on collar I4 or other seat and which is equipped with a cage shown as being provided by the spider of collar I5. Rod 26 slidably extends through the spider and through the lower standing valve 29 with a close sliding fit.

The bottom ofthe working barrel is equipped with a nut or thimble 30 which closely ts about tube l2. This nut is equipped with downwardly extending lugs 3l adapted to enter complementary recesses 32 in the top of the spring lock i0.

The operation and advantages of the improved pump are as follows: During the upward stroke, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the traveling valve 2l is seated. The rod 26, however, is drawn upwardly through standing valves 29 and 2B and the cages for these valves. As the rod has a close sliding t through the standing valves 29 and 28, the friction of the rod urges the standing valves into open position as shown. At the same time, the

rod provides a means for preventing the standing valves from spinning or being violently thrown against the sides of their respective cages.

During the downward stroke, as shown in Fig. 7, the rod 26 slidably extends downwardly through the two standing valves and frictionally urges the standing valves to close. As the rod is guided by the guide pin 24 and rod 26 eX- tending through the cages, the traveling valve 2l is likewise prevented from spinning or being violently thrown against the side of its cage. In this way, the valves are eiectively guided and a mechanical connection is formed between the plunger or working barrel and the standing valves to frictionally urge the standing valves into open and closed positions on upward and downward strokes of the working barrel.

In the event that the sucker rod R loosens or becomes unscrewed, as not infrequently occurs, the sucker rod R may be lowered until the lugs 3l enter the recesses 32. This locks the working barrel against rotation with respect to the spring lock l0. The spring lock I0, which is conventionally employed, is of such construction that it will resist rotation of the spring lock with respect to the shoe S; thus by locking the working barrel against rotation with respect to the shoe S on the tubing the sucker rod may be tightened up whenever occasion requires. The working barrel may then be lifted to disengage the lugs 3l from the recesses 32 and pumping continued.

Whenever it is desired to pull the pump, the nut 30 engages a nut 33 at the top of the tube or pipe l2 and by imposing a tension on the sucker rod R the spring ngers of the spring lock may be contracted and Withdrawn from shoe S.

In Figs. 9 and 10 I have illustrated alternative forms of valves which may be employed in place of the type of valves illustrated in Figs. 2 and 7. Fig. 9 shows an elongated traveling valve 2id having a stem 23a and a rod 26al which slidably extends through the cages for the valves 28a and Za and also through the bodies of these valves. In operation, this form of construction is the same as that previously described.

In Fig. 10 the use of the ball type valves is disclosed wherein the traveling valve is indicated at 2ib having the guide stem 23h and the rod 26h slidably extending through the standing valves 28h and 29h.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that the improved oil pump effectively prevents spinning of the valves or their being thrown violently against the sides of their cages. Furthermore, the standing valves are influenced by the rictional drag of the rod 26 so that they will be urged to open and close in accordance with the direction of stroke of the plunger.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as dened by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A well pump comprising an inner barrel adapted 'to be seated in a well tubing, one or more standing valves mounted within the inner barrel, a plunger telescoped over the inner barrel, a

working or traveling valve on the plunger, and

means on the plunger engageable with the inner barrel for lifting the inner barrel when the plunger is pulled.

2. A well pump comprising an inner barrel adapted to be seated in a well tubing, one or more standing valves mounted Within the inner barrel, a plunger telescoped over the inner barrel, a working or traveling valve on the plunger, means on the plunger engageable with the inner barrel for lifting the inner barrel when the plunger is pulled, and a rod secured to the traveling valve slidably extending through the standing valves WILLIAM J. DUNLAP. 

